Gourmet on the Go!

When not slaving away with only Twitter and mad dog for company, I occasionally have a 'life.' This usually entails cooking for friends, trying far too many wines, and the occasional entire day out. I will post my ramblings, recipes and recommendations here on the 'Gourmet on the Go' blog. Hope you find something of interest!

Tis the season for warming comfort food, and this beef and spinach curry hits all the rights notes. Tender beef, earthy spinach and rich spices balanced with coconut milk makes for a delicious meal. This is one of my favourite curry dishes to cook on a cold night; it’s even better cooked the night before, stored in the fridge and gently warmed up the next day. I use a mini chopper/processor to chop up the onions, garlic, chilli & ginger; it’s a great labour saving device and does the job perfectly. Buy your spices from your local Asian store or buy supermarket own brands; you’ll get more value for money. Enjoy.

Beef, Spinach & Coconut Milk Curry Recipe

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Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 2 hours

Total time: 2 hours 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

800g braising steak

2 medium onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 red birdseye chilli, finely chopped (or more to taste)

1 thumb of ginger, finely chopped

4 cloves

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

3 cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon salt

A generous pinch of sugar

2 tsp each of ground cumin, coriander & paprika

1 teaspoons turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

300 ml chicken stock

400 ml can coconut milk

200g fresh spinach

3 tbsp ground nut or vegetable oil

Fresh coriander to serve.

Method:

Bash the cardamom with the back of a large knife and place along with the cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves in a metal dome tea filter or wrap in muslin.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large non stick pan over high heat and brown the meat in 2 or 3 batches. Take your time over this; you want to get a deep brown crust on the meat, as this will add flavour and richness to the sauce. Remove each batch of beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Reduce the heat to low, add another tbsp of oil and sweat the onions, chilli, garlic, and ginger for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.

Add the meat and then the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, garam masala, salt and sugar. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the meat in the spices.

Add the coconut milk & chicken stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a low, add the tea strainer containing the whole spices, cover and simmer for 1 hr 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the meat is tender.

Add the spinach to the pan and stir in until wilted and soft.

Sprinkle over the fresh coriander and serve with rice or naans.

Notes:

This recipe is easily adapted; the beef can be substituted with chicken thighs, pork shoulder, shoulder/neck of lamb or butternut squash, using stock to suit and adjusting the cooking time to achieve tender results.

The pop-up restaurant scene is well established in London, with notable chefs and creative cooks conjuring up exciting menus that are celebrated today and sadly missed tomorrow… until the next time. Usually lasting for anything from one night to a few months, a pop-up restaurant gives both established and upcoming chefs and cooks a feel for public response to their food, and a chance to establish and build upon their name. From a customer viewpoint, these elusive nights usually offer value for money, a more intimate feel, and a whole host of exciting and sometimes experimental dishes.

Essex trails behind in embracing this movement, although every now and again there is a buzz of excitement surrounding a creative spark who dares to be different. Chef Charlie Stocker is the latest in the line of Essex Chefs that is making his menus and choice of venues a real must attend event. Fresh out of London, Charlie has worked his way up the ladder, gaining experience and knowledge in London restaurants renowned for their seasonal and creative cooking, including Manson and Sketch.

Charlie’s first pop-up night is due this Saturday, the 13th October, to be held in a train carriage on Platform 2 of Chappel and Wakes Colne Station – this is as close to the Orient Express as Essex is ever going to get. House bread, home churned butter and Tollesbury sea salt precedes an amuse bouche and a horde of locally sourced and foraged ingredients that make up some fabulous dishes, designed to please and test your taste buds. From Roasted scallops, strawberry sauce vierge, toasted pine nuts, white chocolate and pineapple weed, to a tasting of rare breed Essex pork, including cheek croquettes and slow cooked belly, with a side of blanched nettles and Aspalls cider jus.

If that has got you yearning, I’m afraid to say that Saturday’s event is a justified sell-out. Yes, how I do enjoy the tease. Fortunately, Charlie’s next pop-up night is to be held in just a couple of weeks at The Loft in Tollesbury, a vintage style tearoom, with an open kitchen, set in Tollesbury’s working marina.

The menu showcases the best of the area, from game and fresh fish, to foraged mushrooms, chestnuts and cobnuts – see menu below. At £25 per head for three courses, and only 16 places available, this intimate and interactive pop-up is going to sell out faster than the last. If you miss this one, keep up to date with Chef Charlie Stocker on Twitter, or subscribe to his website RSS at chefcharliestocker.wordpress.com

As we head deeper into September, the autumn chill has lead me to think about warming food. So, for lunch, I’ve replaced salads with a big bowl of steaming soup. I thought I’d try my hand at the Chinese restaurant classic of chicken and sweetcorn soup, being as the sweetcorn season is at its height and spring onions are coming to an end.

Forget the sweet gloopy version of this soup you may have tried in the past, which is usually laden with sugar and corn flour, this healthy simple recipe delivers an impact on flavour and is perfect for a cold day.

Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup Recipe

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Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 chicken thighs (skinned)

2 cloves garlic, roughly sliced

1 inch knob of ginger, sliced into thick rounds

5 spring onions

Small bunch of coriander

1.5 litre chicken stock (or water)

1 heaped tbsp cornflour

2 ears of corn, kernels removed (or a can of sweetcorn, drained.)

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp soy sauce

tsp ground white pepper

Sesame oil to garnish

Method:

Add your stock, chicken, ginger, garlic, coriander and soy sauce to a large pan. Take three of the spring onions, bash with the flat of a knife to loosen, roughly chop and add to the pan. Bring up to a boil, remove any scum that comes to the top using a ladle, cover and gently simmer for 20 minutes.

While the soup base is simmering, pulse the sweetcorn in a processor until roughly chopped. Finely slice the two remaining spring onions. Mix the cornflour with a couple of tablespoons of the simmering stock or water.

After 20 minutes, remove your chicken with a slotted spoon, set aside and leave to cool a little. Then, using two forks shred the meat from the chicken and discard the bones.

Strain off your stock, and discard the herbs and vegetables – they have imparted their flavour. Put the strained stock back in the pan on a gentle heat.

Add the sweetcorn to the pan and bring up to a boil. Remove any scum that comes to the surface with a ladle. Add your cornflour mix and stir. Stir in the shredded chicken and white pepper.

Slowly stream in the beaten egg, stirring continuously.

Serve garnished with the sliced spring onion and a few splashes of sesame oil.